Package divider



Jan. 23, 1968 v s. k. M.'SALOMONE PACKAGE DIVIDER Filed Dec.

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INVENTOR. 6M4. EM

Sandro Riccardo Michel olomone BYWWZ w ATTORNEYS v Patented .lan. 23,1968 3,365,110 PACKAGE DIVIDER Sandro Riccardo Michele Salomone, Rome,Italy, assignor to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 599,831 Claimspriority, application Great Britain, Dec. 9, 1965, 52,359/65 7 Claims.(Cl. 229-15) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-supporting packagedivider is formed from a suitably cut and scored unitary sheet ofmaterial which is folded to form a package insert having verticalcompartments for separating articles placed therein and an integral toppanel for preventing damage to the tops of the packaged articles. Thedivider is of non-interlocking construction to reduce cost.

Background of the invention This invention relates to package dividersand, more particularly, to a self-supporting package divider formed froma unitary sheet of material to provide article-separating cells and anintegral protective top panel.

Package dividers most usually used in the packaging of, for example,bottles, cans, or similar articles are generally made from a pluralityof slotted sheets which are assembled in inter-locking fashion to form aplurality of article-receiving pockets which serve to isolate theindividual articles from each other and protect them from damage causedby adjacent articles rubbing, scufling, or impacting with each other.These dividers are difiicult to assembly because the orientation of eachslotted sheet to the remaining sheets must be correct or one or moresheets can be damaged. After assembly, the dividers present storageproblems when in opened form and are non-uniform in thickness when inflat condition.

Additionally, a top or bottom protective sheet of similar material isfrequently used in conjunction with the divider to prevent dust fromcoming into contact with the articles or to carry some of the stack loadwhich would otherwise be imposed on the articles. The use of suchseparate protective sheets requires an additional operation to insertthese into the package and necessitates stocking another packageelement.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate the above-mentioneddifliculties.

Summary of the invention Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspectof the present invention, a package divider formed from a unitary sheetof material is provided. The divider has a plurality of cells suitablefor separating the articles to be packaged and a two-element top padwhich is integral with the cells and which extends over the articlereceiving cells. The divider is frictionally held in position by meansof a lip extending from one element of the top pad which frictionallycontacts the surface of the other element of the top pad.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a unitaryblank of fibreboard which has been cut, slotted, and creased to permitthe formation of an insert according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIGURE 1 whenerected for service as a divider insert; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a package in which the divider ofFIGURE 2 is combined with a base tray and the combination overwrappedwith a transparent, polymeric film.

Description of the preferred embodiments As shown in FIGURE 1, the blankcomprises a pair of rectangular main panels 1 which are hingedlyconnected at score line 2. Hingedly attached to the colinear sides ofmain panels 1 at score lines 4 are four rectangular panels 3. A pair ofpanels 3 extends from each of panels 1. Adjacent panels 3 are separatedfrom one another by slots (or cuts) 5, each extending from the outeredge of panels 3 to their corresponding score lines 4.

Rectangular panels 6 and 7 and are each hingedly attached to theremaining free ends of panels 1 at score lines 8 and 9, respectively,but extend beyond the ends of score lines 8 and 9 by a distance whichcan be equal to the diameter of the bottles to be placed in the divider.Panels 6 and 7 are separated from adjacent panels 3 by cuts (or slots)10 extending to the ends of score lines 8 and 9. The width 11 of panels6 and 7 is equal to the width 12 of panels 3, so that when the divideris assembled, panels 6 and 7 are supported near their ends across theirfull width by the edges of panels 3, without panels 3 protruding beyondthe outer edges of panels 6 and 7. Corners 13 of panels 6 and 7 arepreferably rounded, to avoid sharp edges.

Semi-circular cut 14 is made through the board in one of panels 1 andhas its center at a point mid-way between the extreme ends of creaseline 8. Its diameter is determined by the amount of friction gripdesired to retain panels 1 in contact when the insert is erected and ispreferably one-third of the distance between the extreme ends of creaseline 8. The crease line 8 is interrupted for the full distance betweenpoints 15, Where cut 14 meets crease line 8, so that the semi-circularpiece of board 16 is an unhinged extension of panel 6.

In FIGURE 2 the divider blank is shown assembled in erected conditionand ready for use. Assembly is accomplished by folding the blank alongscore line 2, until panels 1 are contiguous, simultaneously foldingpanels 6 and 7 along score lines 8 and 9 in a direction opposite to thatin which panels 1 were folded so that extension 16 lies on top of panel7. Panels 3 are then folded along hinges 4 through so that each supportsthe board near one end of panel 6 or panel 7.

The erected divider can be employed to form the major structural elementof a package as in FIGURE 3. The divider is combined with a flat :basetray 17, the latter preferably having an upstanding peripheral lip. Thearticles 19 are housed between the divider and the tray 17 and theassembly is then overwrapped with a transparent, polymeric film 18 toform an inexpensive package. Preferably, the film 18 can be heatshrinkable so that upon the application of heat there-to the completedpackage is tautly wrapped, thereby forming an easy to handle package.

The divider of the present invention can also be used in conjunctionwith a shipping container. In this configuration the divider functionsas a combined article-separating member and a top pad to protect thecontents of the container from damage caused by the imposition ofstacking loads to the tops thereof. The container of this embodimentreplaces the tray 17 and film overwrap 18 shown in FIGURE 3.

The material from which the divider of the present invention is made canbe any substantially rigid fibreboard material which has the requisitestrength in the vertical dimension of the erected divider. A doublefaced corrugated paperboard is preferred although other paperboards canalso be used. When corrugated paperboard is used it is preferred thatthe corrugations be perpendicular to score lines 2, 8 and 9 and parallelto score lines 4 in order to provide the greatest top to bottomcompression resistance in the erected divider.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications can be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention and it is intended to cover in the appendedclaims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope ofthis invention.

I claim:

1. A unitary blank for forming a multiple compartment package dividerfrom a scored and cut sheet of paperboard material, said blankcomprising:

(a) two adjacent, geometrically equal, rectangular main panels hingedlyconnected along a common score line forming one boundary of each panel;

(b) four equally sized rectangular side panels, each of which ishingedly connected to a side of each of said main panels, said sides ofsaid main panels being perpendicular to said common score line;

(c) a pair of rectangular end panels, each of which is hingedlyconnected to the remaining free edge of each of said main panels, saidend panels having a length greater than that of said main panels.

2. The blank of claim 1 wherein the corrugations are perpendicular tothe score line joining said main panels.

3. The blank of claim 1 wherein the widths of. said side panels and saidend panels are all substantially equal, as measured in directionsperpendicular to the hinges joining said side panels and said end panelsto said main panels.

4. The blank of claim 1 in which one of said end panels has an integralextension along the edge joining said end panel with a main panel, saidextension formed by a cut made in said main panel and extending to theedge of said end panel, said out forming a closed figure with said edgeof said end panel.

5. A multiple compartment package divider formed from a unitary blank ofcut and scored paperboard comprising:

(a) two adjacent, geometrically equal, rectangular main panels hingedlyconnected along a common score line forming one boundary of each panel;

(b) four equally sized rectangular side panels, each of which ishingedly connected to a side of each of said main panels, said sides ofsaid main panels being perpendicular to said common score line; and

(c) a pair of rectangular end panels, each of which is hingedlyconnected to the remaining free edge of each of said main panels, saidend panels having a length greater than that of said main panels; and

(d) said divider formed by folding said blank along said common scoreline separating said main panels until said main panels are contiguous,folding said side panels until each of said side panels is perpendicularto said main panels, and oppositely folding said end panels until theyare perpendicular to said main panels.

6. A package comprising:

(a) a multiple compartment package divider formed from a unitary blankof cut and scored paperboard comprising two adjacent geometricallyequal, rectangular main panels hingedly connected along a common scoreline forming one boundary of each panel; four equally sized rectangularside panels, each of which is hingedly connected to a side of each ofsaid main panels, said sides of said main panels being perpendicular tosaid common score line; and a pair of rectangular end panels, each ofwhich is hingedly connected to the remaining free edge of each of saidmain panels, said end panels having a length greater than that of saidmain panels;

(b) a rectangular paperboard tray;

(0) said divider positioned within said tray.

7. A package comprising:

(a) a multiple compartment package divider formed from a unitary blankof cut and scored paperboard comprising two adjacent, geometricallyequal, rectangular main panels hingedly connected along a common scoreline forming one boundary of each panel; four equally sized rectangularside panels, each of which is hingedly connected to a side of each ofsaid main panels, said sides of said main panels being perpendicular tosaid common score line; and a pair of rectangular end panels, each ofwhich is hingedly connected to the remaining free edge of each of saidmain panels, said end panels having a length greater than that of saidmain panels;

(b) a paperboard tray;

(c) a polymeric film overwrap;

(d) said divider positioned on said tray to enclose the articlespackaged therein, and said film overwrapping said divider and said trayto form an enclosed package.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,450,419 10/1948 Cassidy et al.229-15 2,475,107 7/1949 Newsom 229l5 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

